A Cinderella story: Covid style
- Lexie Engdahl
- Nov 18, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 1, 2020
Weddings around the world have been affected by the global pandemic. Many have hopes to wed this year, with few actually making this fairytale happen.
The COVID-19 pandemic is creating additional stress on couples who are planning on getting married in 2020. One Las Vegas couple in particular is having an especially hard time planning their wedding through the trials and tribulations of the novel Coronavirus.
Alexis Manuia and Iokua Manuia, a newly wedded couple whose date is set as December 31st on the big island of Hawaii, are one of these couples who are battling this conflicting idea of getting married during the pandemic, or holding off until it all blows over. Due to COVID-19 concerns, they decide to move their wedding day to early September, resulting in a smaller ceremony with close friends and family in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alexis’ and Iokua’s decision is based upon the current uncertainty around large gatherings and the travel restrictions of going to Hawaii during the pandemic.
“After a lot of discussion, we both agreed we should move it up. I know it was probably difficult for her to make this happen and isn't exactly what she pictured her wedding day to be, but we had to make the best of it,” Iokua said. “I think every bride and groom are going through what we are going through right now. Lots of confusion and roadblocks to creating the wedding of our dreams.”
The struggles of getting married in a pandemic may not be the best situation to go through, but it is a very rare experience. Couples must be patient and understand that the wedding may not go exactly as planned. Although it is not the most ideal situation, Alexis and Iokua decide it is something they want to face, as all the activities and events are just a bonus.
The love that binds them together in the celebration is the most important part.
The smaller wedding is perfect enough for them, for all of her close family and friends have a chance to attend with proper COVID precautions. The thought of waiting until late into 2021 is not ideal in the couples opinion. Therefore they decide to elope and plan for a much larger celebration once the crisis settles. Alexis and Iokua make the hard decision of continuing the wedding plans through the pandemic.
Almost every aspect of her wedding plans are being affected by COVID-19, Alexis said. This includes where the wedding is located, the celebration in itself, the amount of people involved, and the precautions taken in order to make it as safe as possible for all parties.
A positive side of planning during the pandemic is that it makes the wedding planning a lot simpler than it usually is. A small group of people means less food preparation, a smaller venue required, and a more comfortable setting of being married in Alexis’ backyard in her hometown. However, regardless of the size or amount of celebration for the wedding, none of this matters to Alexis.
“I don’t necessarily think it would have been a better experience if I would have waited until after quarantine,” Alexis said. “ It definitely wasn’t the wedding I had dreamed of, but the most important part was I was able to marry my husband which is all that mattered to me.”
Couples expecting to get married in these times may have a lot of uncertainties, however the idea of having their most precious loved one binded to them for life is the most certain and concrete.
Fortunately for this couple, they are planning a bigger celebration in March of 2021, on the big island of Hawaii. Due to the smaller number of people who may attend the wedding, they are planning on inviting 50 people instead of 500. This number is hard for Iokua, because it means that none of his family from Hawaii are able to attend. However, the celebration in 2021 is on Iokua’s home island, which means his entire family will be able to join in on the festivities.While most of Alexis’ family resides in Las Vegas and are around each other everyday, they still are trying to make the small gathering of 50 people as safe as possible.
Guests are more than welcome to wear masks, families that live together will be seated together, and hand sanitizer will be passed out to all guests who attend the ceremony. Since the wedding is being held outside in Alexis’ backyard, guests are not required to wear face masks. However, Iokua's family from Hawaii had sent customized face masks ahead of time that will be handed out to each individual. Prior to the wedding, she held a drive-by bridal shower for guests that were uncomfortable with being in contact with others, Alexis said.
Alexis feels that the drive-by bridal shower is a key to keeping the guests who cannot attend feel like they are being involved in the celebration. These guests may have underlying health conditions, or do not want to risk being around a large gathering, and prefer to stay at a safe distance. She does not want to put more people at risk for the virus, especially the family members that want to be a part of the festivities but can not risk it due to health concerns.
Overall, 2020 is a different experience for all members of society. It continuously brings struggles upon nearly everyone, and many are ready for the year to be over even a few months early. Luckily for Alexis and Iokua, they are deciding that it is going to become one of the most memorable.
“It was definitely a different experience of a wedding, but it is something we will remember forever,” Iokua said. “We wanted to have a bright side to the year of 2020, for most of this year as we all know has been nothing but negatives.”
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